Thibs New Training Questions #3

Training
341

Hello Coach’

I have two questions and I would appreciate any time you could take into answering them.

  1. I purchased the protocol and was concerned that all these carbs would lower testosterone as insulin has a cascading effect on numerous hormonal functions, am I just being too paronoid? I am very insulin sensitive my body fat only stores in my back and sides.

  2. I love your version of the face pull being over the head instead of to the neck or bridge of the nose but why is your version so much harder and what muscles does it hit compared to other versions?

Thank you.

342

Hey coach, first off thanks for all your info, i have been working on reading as much of your material as possible.

I am a Former Fat Boy, and as such have to be careful and strict with diet at all times. That being said my body fat is under control and looking to add muscle mass while staying lean. A lot of coaches here on t nation have been in support of upper/lower body split do you have any suggestions when designing a upper/lower split such as articles or threads? I know i need to base it around big complex heavy movements and i thought a layout like this might work:

Day 1: Chest/triceps Heavy compound movements, Back/bicep Moderate weight, Shoulders lightweight exercises
Day 2: Squats as 40-50% of the work, followed by ancillary leg and calf work
day 3: rest or some cardio & Ab work
day 4: Heavy Back/Bicep compound movements, Shoulders moderate weight, Chest/tricep lightweight isolations
day 5: Lunges as 40-50% of the work, followed by ancillary leg and calf work
day 6: rest or some cardio & Ab work
day 7: Shoulders/core Heavy compounds, Chest/tricep moderate weight, Back/Bicep light isolations
day 8: Leg press/Romanian dead lift s 40-50% of the work, followed by ancillary leg and calf work
day 9: off

Then repeating through this style, is this a good way to approach it?
Any critiques/advice/just pointing me to information would be awesome.

Thanks so much!
Alex

343

[quote]nickj_777 wrote:
Hello Coach’

I have two questions and I would appreciate any time you could take into answering them.

  1. I purchased the protocol and was concerned that all these carbs would lower testosterone as insulin has a cascading effect on numerous hormonal functions, am I just being too paronoid? I am very insulin sensitive my body fat only stores in my back and sides.

  2. I love your version of the face pull being over the head instead of to the neck or bridge of the nose but why is your version so much harder and what muscles does it hit compared to other versions?

Thank you.

[/quote]

  1. Yes you are. Here is how insulin could lower testosterone…

a. Carbs are ingested
b. the ingested carbs lead to a release of insulin
c. insulin if released in excess leads to a significant release of cortisol BECAUSE THE MAIN ROLE OF CORTISOL IS TO MOBILIZE STORED ENERGY… low blood sugar is a signal that more energy needs to be released… so low blood sugar = cortisol is released
d. cortisol is made from pregnenolone, which is also the material used to produce testosterone. So the more cortisol you produce, the less pregnenolone you have left to fabricate testosterone.

Now, understand this: WITHOUT the protocol there is just as much cortisol, probably more, being produced during the workout. SEVERAL studies have shown that carbs consumed pre and during workout actually lowers cortisol production.

So the protocol shouldn’t lead to a lowered testosterone level, if anything it should keep it higher.

If you respond badly to carbs, start more gradually (using 1 or 2 bars) to see how your body reacts.

344

Most elite strength coaches around the country like Joe DeFranco, Dave Tate, and Louie Simmons believe and recommend the repetition method to or near failure for maximum hypertrophy. Considering that you have stated that most of your theories come from the same sources (Zatsiorsky), why do you recommend the sets and reps that you do? Nervous system activation aside, why do you believe that such low reps are still the optimal range for muscle hypertrophy?

Thank you for your time.

345

[quote]Hazzyhazz24 wrote:
Most elite strength coaches around the country like Joe DeFranco, Dave Tate, and Louie Simmons believe and recommend the repetition method to or near failure for maximum hypertrophy. Considering that you have stated that most of your theories come from the same sources (Zatsiorsky), why do you recommend the sets and reps that you do? Nervous system activation aside, why do you believe that such low reps are still the optimal range for muscle hypertrophy?

Thank you for your time. [/quote]

I do recommend higher rep stuff: the max rep set. The amount of weight you use on those is based on the highest result you achieve on that day. And I only recommend doing one such set per exercise.

346

Hey CT thanks for the replies

I have to admit that my hands are deeply affecting my pressing power and was wondering if you could outline a hand/grip specialization phase because everyone on here could benefit from stronger hands . Thank you for the lower back specialization phase you posted by the way :slight_smile:

347

Thib, I don’t know how this exercise is called in English - where you upright row and press overhead the barbell from the floor or hang in one fluid explosive motion with a clean or snatch grip. What is this lift good for in your opinion? Activation purposes maybe or even strength building ?

348

[quote]Thy. wrote:
Thib, I don’t know how this exercise is called in English - where you upright row and press overhead the barbell from the floor or hang in one fluid explosive motion with a clean or snatch grip. What is this lift good for in your opinion? Activation purposes maybe or even strength building ?[/quote]

One fluid, explosive upright row to OH press movement pretty much sounds like a SNATCH, but you can’t mean that, can you? Tell the foreign name.

349

CT,

have you ever used auto-regulation/perfect-rep principles in a fatigue accumulation program?

i saw poliquins Super-Accumulation program and the idea interested me. i solely use the
perfect rep/auto-regulation style now and was wondering if you thought it be a bad idea
to mix them.

350

[quote]kakno wrote:

[quote]Thy. wrote:
Thib, I don’t know how this exercise is called in English - where you upright row and press overhead the barbell from the floor or hang in one fluid explosive motion with a clean or snatch grip. What is this lift good for in your opinion? Activation purposes maybe or even strength building ?[/quote]

One fluid, explosive upright row to OH press movement pretty much sounds like a SNATCH, but you can’t mean that, can you? Tell the foreign name.[/quote]

I said PRESS overhead, and they don’t press anything in snatch… I meant without the triple extenstion of course.

I’ve found this video, so probably it’s called muscle snatch and with a narrow grip I guess it’s muscle jerk.

351

Hi coach. There is any logic to wear a light, fairly flexible weight belt during all of my training sessions. I want to dramatically reduce the activity of the obliques (which over time it causes them to atrophy).

Also I think almost all functional & core exercises use a lot the obliques. Everytime I do them I always feel the pump in the obliques. How can I handle it? What do you suggest about it? I don’t want to get a wider waist!

Thanks.

352

hi coach, could you please post a video or a description of correct Scott Press technique.

Thanks.

353

Hello CT,

In your I,Bodybuilder vids Romanian Deads are performed from pins, I am looking to do Good Mornings following the Perfect Rep principles, would you recommend I perform them from pins also?

Thanks in advance.

354

[quote]ab1975 wrote:
Hi coach. There is any logic to wear a light, fairly flexible weight belt during all of my training sessions. I want to dramatically reduce the activity of the obliques (which over time it causes them to atrophy).

Also I think almost all functional & core exercises use a lot the obliques. Everytime I do them I always feel the pump in the obliques. How can I handle it? What do you suggest about it? I don’t want to get a wider waist!

Thanks. [/quote]

This was obviously pulled out of today’s article, from Dr.Hyght.

355

[quote]Gareth Murchie wrote:
Hello CT,

In your I,Bodybuilder vids Romanian Deads are performed from pins, I am looking to do Good Mornings following the Perfect Rep principles, would you recommend I perform them from pins also?

Thanks in advance.[/quote]

Neither has to be performed from pins. Lifts from pins use the deadstop technique (starting from a point where the muscles are not under tension) which is not “the perfect rep” per se. They increase intramuscular tension, but via a different pathway.

Most compound lifts can be performed from a deadstart from time to time.

356

[quote]ab1975 wrote:
Hi coach. There is any logic to wear a light, fairly flexible weight belt during all of my training sessions. I want to dramatically reduce the activity of the obliques (which over time it causes them to atrophy).

Also I think almost all functional & core exercises use a lot the obliques. Everytime I do them I always feel the pump in the obliques. How can I handle it? What do you suggest about it? I don’t want to get a wider waist!

Thanks. [/quote]

  1. The potential for oblique hypertrophy under normal condition is fairly small. Some athletes who use their obliques A LOT on a DAILY basis (throwers, olympic lifters) might eventually get some hypertrophy there. But we’re talking after years of overloading them everyday.

The belt might reduce oblique activation slightly. But I personally rarely recommend using it as it makes your trunk muscles weaker over time which can lead to lower back injuries.

357

CT

When training a particular body part in a single session (3-4 exercises):

  1. Would I using ramping for every exercise - 6-8 x 3. Or could I do 5x5 on the second one, using 75%
    of my max for every set, using a prescribed pre-activation technique before each one?

  2. If ramping in 3’s for every excercise, would I only to a max rep set on the last set of the last excercise?

  3. If for example, I were training chest in on session, what would be an effective sets and reps scheme for the following exercises:

  4. Bb bench press

  5. Incline flyes

  6. Decline db’s

Thanks in advance

Moogweasel

358

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted but I hope my post does not anger anyone. CT, I think with the I,BODYBUILDER threads, that you believe that I,BODYBUILDER is the way to go for size gains and strength gains, and another plus for me is speed gains, due to training in explosiveness.

All my normal actions and even hitting speed bags has even improved. But I realize that your passion is training, not nutrition.
So I don’t want to bother you but who do you know is an expert on diet for the person who wants to look damn good unflexed at considerable size, say 7% bf, which is what you say you maintain?

I would’ve asked who’s an expert for bodybuilding, but please don’t flame me for thinking this, the competitive bodybuilder only has enough juice to hold a great physique for a few months, which is why I think you have got to be the most advanced person I know on as a strength coach, a bodybuilding coach, and even a powerlifter/bodybuilder.

359

[quote]vcjha wrote:
It’s been a long time since I’ve posted but I hope my post does not anger anyone. CT, I think with the I,BODYBUILDER threads, that you believe that I,BODYBUILDER is the way to go for size gains and strength gains, and another plus for me is speed gains, due to training in explosiveness.

All my normal actions and even hitting speed bags has even improved. But I realize that your passion is training, not nutrition.
So I don’t want to bother you but who do you know is an expert on diet for the person who wants to look damn good unflexed at considerable size, say 7% bf, which is what you say you maintain?

I would’ve asked who’s an expert for bodybuilding, but please don’t flame me for thinking this, the competitive bodybuilder only has enough juice to hold a great physique for a few months, which is why I think you have got to be the most advanced person I know on as a strength coach, a bodybuilding coach, and even a powerlifter/bodybuilder.[/quote]

  1. You mention looking good unflexed at a considerable size. The missing part of the equation for you is ‘‘appreciable size’’, which you don’t have. From your pics you don’t have much muscle. So if you drop to 7% I doubt that you would look muscular. You would look lean, but more like a swimmer than someone who lifts weight.

  2. You are also not very lean. From your pic it is hard to tell, but you are certainly above 12%, likely 15-ish%. So to reach the look you want you need to both add a significant amount of muscle mass AND lose a significant amount of fat. BOTH GOALS ARE CONTRADICTORY. You CAN add a moderate amount of muscle while losing A LITTLE fat… you CAN lose a moderate amount of fat and add A LITTLE muscle. But you can’t maximize both.

So to answer your question, there is NO diet that will allow you to be 7% with appreciable size.

IF YOU ALREADY HAD A LOT OF MUSCLE but were too fat, it would be easy… simply use the diet that will help you get a lot leaner while maintaining your muscle mass (but you NEED to already have the muscle to start with, which is not your case).

IF YOU ARE NATURALLY SUPER LEAN (e.g. maintain 6-7% without even trying… ) but lack muscle, it can also be done because you simply would need a diet and training that would allow you to gain muscle without adding too much fat (but you NEED to be naturally super lean for it to work, which is not your case either).

There is no magic diet that will help you reach your goal by doing all at once.

You need to focus on one of the two goals (adding a lot of size OR dropping a lot of fat) THEN focus on the other one. Each goal requires a different diet.

360

[quote]Christian Thibaudeau wrote:

[quote]vcjha wrote:
It’s been a long time since I’ve posted but I hope my post does not anger anyone. CT, I think with the I,BODYBUILDER threads, that you believe that I,BODYBUILDER is the way to go for size gains and strength gains, and another plus for me is speed gains, due to training in explosiveness.

All my normal actions and even hitting speed bags has even improved. But I realize that your passion is training, not nutrition.
So I don’t want to bother you but who do you know is an expert on diet for the person who wants to look damn good unflexed at considerable size, say 7% bf, which is what you say you maintain?

I would’ve asked who’s an expert for bodybuilding, but please don’t flame me for thinking this, the competitive bodybuilder only has enough juice to hold a great physique for a few months, which is why I think you have got to be the most advanced person I know on as a strength coach, a bodybuilding coach, and even a powerlifter/bodybuilder.[/quote]

  1. You mention looking good unflexed at a considerable size. The missing part of the equation for you is ‘‘appreciable size’’, which you don’t have. From your pics you don’t have much muscle. So if you drop to 7% I doubt that you would look muscular. You would look lean, but more like a swimmer than someone who lifts weight.

  2. You are also not very lean. From your pic it is hard to tell, but you are certainly above 12%, likely 15-ish%. So to reach the look you want you need to both add a significant amount of muscle mass AND lose a significant amount of fat. BOTH GOALS ARE CONTRADICTORY. You CAN add a moderate amount of muscle while losing A LITTLE fat… you CAN lose a moderate amount of fat and add A LITTLE muscle. But you can’t maximize both.

So to answer your question, there is NO diet that will allow you to be 7% with appreciable size.

IF YOU ALREADY HAD A LOT OF MUSCLE but were too fat, it would be easy… simply use the diet that will help you get a lot leaner while maintaining your muscle mass (but you NEED to already have the muscle to start with, which is not your case).

IF YOU ARE NATURALLY SUPER LEAN (e.g. maintain 6-7% without even trying… ) but lack muscle, it can also be done because you simply would need a diet and training that would allow you to gain muscle without adding too much fat (but you NEED to be naturally super lean for it to work, which is not your case either).

There is no magic diet that will help you reach your goal by doing all at once.

You need to focus on one of the two goals (adding a lot of size OR dropping a lot of fat) THEN focus on the other one. Each goal requires a different diet.[/quote]

Thank you so much for the reply. Honestly, I would go to you help in this department, but I’ve come to learn that you teach the whole package in nutrition, including peri-workout nutrition. I don’t have any money to spend on any more supplements, but I currently have whey protein.

Thank you for the hard truth. Really opened my eyes to how much I’ve failed to build properly. Since, I don’t have much muscle to start with, I’m deciding to go the moderate muscle lose little fat rate. Also, I know very well it is not possible to do both at the same time, but I always try to mention the end goal, sorry my apologies.

After everything has been said, what would you recommend or who would you recommend me to for advice? Once again, thank you for the reply and the reality check. I feel like the worst bodybuilder out of the beginners, but I guess the only direction to go is up, if I do it right. Definitely do not wanting to be gaining fat after what you said.

P.S. Can it be done forever or the goal to gain some muscle lose a little fat is more like a few-times-in-a-lifetime-thing?